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One bad hole can spoil a round of golf; one bad inning—one bad pitch—can mean defeat in baseball; one miserable chukka can end the dreams of a polo pony; and, so, it’s no surprise that a bad quarter in basketball can erase the meaning of the other three.

Llano was outscored 15-5 in the third stanza against Burnet, January 26, and dropped a 47-38 decision. The loss at home didn’t really damage the Jackets’ playoff hopes, but winding up in second place in the district will be a difficult chore.

“They made easy baskets in transition in the third,” head coach Jessica Jendrzey said, “and we had kids in foul trouble. The wheels came off.”

Allie Rostron’s wheels were better in the first quarter than Jimmie Johnson’s (no, not the hair-spray guy.) Rostron had two threes and two twos for 10 points—she repeated this in the fourth quarter to finish with a game-high 20. Allie got no points in the middle segments.

Burnet was up 22-19 at halftime, but, “We felt comfortable at that juncture,” Jendrzey declared. “We liked being down, because it gave us motivation. We were up by three at their place, January 8, and lost by four.” Déjà vu you don’t want: the Jackets scored five points in the third in both contests.

Shay Graeter, a candidate for Player of the Year honors in 8-3A, hit a three-point field goal for a 25-19 advantage. She had scored 13 in the first half and concluded with 18.

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“She’s clicking on all cylinders,” Lady Dawgs’ head coach Mike Cavender insisted. “She’s shooting well and making good decisions.” Graeter had 23 in a showdown win against Liberty Hill, January 22. Yes, impressive double for Burnet: triumphs on the road in a five- day span against two of the district’s top three squads, and Cavender’s collection is 6-0 in the district.

The Bulldogs went on a 9-0 run for a 27-19 advantage, boosted that to 32-22, and then these sequences silenced the home side, which already wasn’t bothering anyone:

“…Kati Maldonado, from the left wing for three….it’s good…oh, that’s a dagger, a dagger!!

“…There’s a steal by Kerstyn Towslee…she drives….and lays it in for two…what’s happening here??!!...”

What was happening was Burnet now owned a 37-22 lead. When Ashley Schroeder scored with 35 seconds left in the third, Llano had its first field goal of the dismal period.

“We did a better job of putting pressure on them with our defense,” Cavender observed. The man who succeeded the Jackets’ State Championship coach, Jacquetta Brown in 2007 in Burnet, said: “We made Llano wasn’t quite done. Rostron returned to the scoring column:

“…Allie for three….it’s good! It’s good! Oh, my goodness, did the Jackets have to have that…”

That cut the lead to a manageable 37-29, but Llano got no closer. Rostron finished with four threes—a career high for her in one game.

“We battled and rallied,” coach J asserted, “but they were consistent for 32 minutes; they had an answer for our baskets.

“This is a story of our season. We cannot string together four quarters. It won’t hurt you against lesser teams, but it will against someone like Burnet. You must play a complete game to go deep in the playoffs.”

****

Don’t forget Cierra Jordan. The freshman had one of her finest nights and scored six points. “I told her before the game,” coach J advised, “that I’m going to need her to step up, be a threat offensively, and take the burden off some of the other girls. ‘I need you to be the kid who scored 20 a game as an eighth grader.’ I didn’t mean we needed that many points, but I wanted her to play that way, and she did. I’ll take her six in a game like this any time.”

Burnet reached the region semifinals a year ago (first time in school history) before losing to Lubbock Estacado. “The girls said right after we returned home,” Cavender pointed out, “that we have unfinished business.” So far, business is good as the 23-6 Dawgs are ranked fifth in the state in Class 3A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

On the other bench, “I’ll tell you this,” Jendrzey told me, “we’ll be battle tested in the postseason, especially our defense. Not many teams play defense as well as Burnet or us. I like our chances in the playoffs. Jacquetta Brown in 2007 in Burnet, said: “We made things happen.”

Llano wasn’t quite done. Rostron returned to the scoring column:

“…Allie for three….it’s good! It’s good! Oh, my goodness, did the Jackets have to have that…”

That cut the lead to a manageable 37-29, but Llano got no closer. Rostron finished with four threes—a career high for her in one game.

“We battled and rallied,” coach J asserted, “but they were consistent for 32 minutes; they had an answer for our baskets.

“This is the story of our season. We cannot string together four quarters. It won’t hurt you against lesser teams, but it will against someone like Burnet. You must play a complete game to go deep in the playoffs.”

****

Don’t forget Cierra Jordan. The freshman had one of her finest nights and scored six points. “I told her before the game,” coach J advised, “that I’m going to need her to step up, be a threat offensively, and take the burden off some of the other girls. ‘I need you to be the kid who scored 20 a game as an eighth grader.’ I didn’t mean we needed that many points, but I wanted her to play that way, and she did. I’ll take her six in a game like this any time.”

Burnet reached the region semifinals a year ago (first time in school history) before losing to Lubbock Estacado. “The girls said right after we returned home,” Cavender pointed out, “that we have unfinished business.” So far, business is good as the 23-6 Dawgs are ranked fifth in the state in Class 3A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

On the other bench, “I’ll tell you this,” Jendrzey told me, “we’ll be battle tested in the postseason, especially our defense. Not many teams play defense as well as Burnet or us. I like our chances in the playoffs.”